Perfectly Imperfect
analytical Essay
821 words
Perfectly Imperfect Society has a reputation of what a women should strive to be. Throughout the years ridiculous expectations has labeled a women. A woman should know how to: cook, clean, raise kids, take care of the household, be seen not heard, all while maintaining their figure and looks. Women are the heart of the household and family in most situations without her everything would fall apart. Society has corrupted the minds of many with the false images of women. In the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy and “Marks” by Linda Pastan they share a common theme of women in their society in time. that are being upheld to certain expectations. Both poems were written within ten years of each other; showing that not much about the view on women had changed. They share a similar tone and feelings on being judged by others. Today the same feelings and stigmas are still imposed on a women life. Women in today’s society are judged on appearances, behavior, and superficial ideas that have been embedded by society. “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy is the epitome of what views from society can affect you. The title itself has a deeper meaning. A Barbie doll is known for its ideal physique, perfect hair and teeth, and an incredible wardrobe. It is a fake impression of a women’s appearance that is generally played with by little girls. It is an icon around the world and role model to many young girls. Young girls are impressionable and their self-esteem is not fully mature. “This girlchild was born as usual and presented dolls that did pee-pee and miniature GE stoves and irons and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy” (Piercy). This little girl is like any other girl. She is presented with dolls to play with, and other toys to pra... ... middle of paper ... ...t of a woman’s’ perspective in daily life. “Barbie Doll” shows a perspective of a little girls’ idea of what is expected from her at a young age. “Marks” shows a perspective of a woman with a family that has achieved what was expected for a girl. The women in both poems are personifications such as a plastic doll or a letter grade. They both are compared to objects that have less value than the humans beings they are. Everyday woman are faced with challenges that have been around for decades. Women still fight for equality and stigmas of double standards. Women are powerful and are responsible for the family and domestic duties. Obsession with appearance should not be such a big issue. Everyone is shaped differently and has unique special features. Women face the challenge or being a superficial lady that society has enforced into the expectations of being a woman.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes piercy's opinion on the challenges women face about being critiqued and compared to a barbie doll. the little girl cut off her imperfections to satisfy society.
- Analyzes how the woman in linda pastan's "marks" struggles with being graded on her performance as a mother and wife.
- Compares "barbie doll" and "marks" to show a woman's perspective in daily life. everyday women fight for equality and stigmas of double standards.
- Compares marge piercy and linda pastan's "barbie doll" to show how society has corrupted the minds of many with false images of women.
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- Barbie Doll by Marge Piercyanalytical essayThe poem, "Barbie Doll," written by Marge Piercy tells the story of a young girl growing up through the adolescence stage characterized by appearances and barbarity. The author uses imagery and fluctuating tone to describe the struggles the girl is experiencing during her teenage years, and the affects that can happen. The title of this poem is a good description of how most societies expect others, especially girls to look. Constantly, people are mocked for their appearance and expected to represent a "barbie-doll"-like figure. Few are "blessed" with this description. The female gender is positioned into the stereotype that women should be thin and beautiful. With this girl, the effects were detrimental. The first stanza describes the influence that a child is placed into during early childhood. Girls are expected to play with "dolls" and "stoves and irons," the usual toys that relate to the old-fashioned duties of women. A young girl begins to learn what she should be for society and not to deviate from the norm. The tone used in this stanza is quite silent and simplistic at first,...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how marge piercy's poem, "barbie doll," describes the struggles of a young girl through her teenage years characterized by appearances and barbarity.
- Analyzes how the character of nora in "a doll's house" is a perfect example of how women are like dolls and do what society expects of them.
461 wordsRead More - essayanalytical essayThe poem “ Barbie Doll” discusses, how society has a hold on individual's lives, especially on women. It is compelling the women to stop being themselves, and become somebody else in order to please the society. We always have to keep society in our consideration, before doing anything because the society in which we are living, always judge us on trivial things. Society tells us how to dress up and act, and have to look a certain way to be accepted. It is so sad to see that this poem, was written in 1973 by Marge Piercy, but even now we realize that nothing has changed and same barrier are still ruling our lives.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the poem " barbie doll" discusses, how society has a hold on individual's lives, especially on women.
- Analyzes how barbie doll represents a woman with perfect body and attractive beauty. it depicts the main character in the poem, who didn't want society to judge her on any basis.
- Analyzes how the poem is written in free style using four stanzas; uses very descriptive tone to help us understand the context.
- Analyzes how the poem continues to follow the girl until her adult years, and mentions her positive qualities. she couldn't see those qualities in herself because she was so busy trying to please everyone else.
- Opines that society only cares about physical appearances and not the qualities that matter, how people really are and their inner beauty.
- Analyzes how the girl is frustrated by the society because they were expecting her to be a model or barbie. she decided to do something dramatic because she was tired of trying to fit in.
- Analyzes how the last stanza, follows the girl to her death where ironically describe her perfect nose and casket.
- Opines that the poem signifies what happens to women and any other minorities, who are oppressed and pressured by society.
710 wordsRead More - The Role Of Women In William Faulkner's Barbie Dollanalytical essayThe Barbie is a plastic, man-made female toy, which has perfect facial symmetry, unnatural body dimensions, and perfectly unblemished white skin. In Chris Semansky’s Overview of “Barbie Doll,” he explains that the Barbie “is invented to show women have been socialized into thinking of their bodies and behavior in relation to a male-controlled idea” (Semansky). The title directly alludes to the Barbie toy, which represents a design of a man-made construction of the female image that shows an unnatural human form that could only exist inside the imagination of men. Throughout both “Barbie Doll” and “The Birthmark” you will find the female protagonists seeking an ultimately perfect form, free of the characteristics that those around them see as unworthy. It is as if they are chasing the blueprint of perfection that is present in the Barbie. The original Barbie came with three outfits a bathing suit, a tennis outfit, and a wedding dress (Semansky). Her outfits clearly symbolize restrictions forced on female privilege, identity, and autonomy, where “she embodies the ideals and values of her middle-class American community” who expect her to “spend her days at the country club and her afternoons cooking dinner for her husband” (Semansky). This is directly similar to the “outfits” those around the women in “Barbie Doll” where the girlchild is born
In this essay, the author
- Explains that women were not allowed to make major decisions in the family and were expected to submit in all things to the husband.
- Analyzes how william faulkner's "a rose for emily" has subtle details that reveal that woman being treated as a lesser and with injustice has always happened.
- Analyzes how miss grierson was forced to kill mr. barron as a distressed act to keep her womanhood, her respect, and her marital value.
- Analyzes how marge piercy shows socialization in its finest form throughout barbie doll, a poem that follows the "girlchild" as she tries to fit into society.
- Analyzes how the title of the poem "barbie doll" represents society's harsh expectations on women. the plastic, man-made female toy has perfect facial symmetry, unnatural body dimensions, and perfectly unblemished white skin.
- Analyzes how piercy shows the conflict and terrible hardships placed on women within a male-controlled society.
- Analyzes how mrs. mallard was ecstatic when she heard about her husband's passing. the duke treated her like an object, a prize that he won that can only smile for him.
1684 wordsRead More - Marge Piercy’s Barbie Dollanalytical essayIn Marge Piercy’s, “Barbie Doll,” we see the effect that society has on the expectations of women. A woman, like the girl described in ‘Barbie Doll’, should be perfect. She should know how to cook and clean, but most importantly be attractive according to the impossible stereotypes of womanly beauty. Many women in today’s society are compared to the unrealistic life and form of the doll. The doll, throughout many years, has transformed itself from a popular toy to a role model for actual women. The extremes to which women take this role model are implicated in this short, yet truthful poem.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how marge piercy's "barbie doll" portrays the effect that society has on the expectations of women.
- Analyzes how the poem starts with the line, "this girlchild was born as usual," which suggests that society expects a girl to learn the role she will soon play in when she hits puberty.
- Analyzes how piercy describes the girl as healthy, intelligent, and strong, but negative equalities alone, could not keep people from criticizing her, so she feels inferior.
- Analyzes how stereotypes of idealized feminine beauty have had an effect on the girl's mental being as she matures.
- Analyzes how piercy's portrayal of the "barbie doll" character in the third and final stanza shows the girl taking her own life because she does not love herself as she was.
604 wordsRead More - Beauty and Perfection in Today´s Societyanalytical essay...ing that her particular poem “Barbie doll” was written in the midst of a feminist movement in America that redefined the lives of many women. It tells the story of a young girl who is insecure and disgusted with her body, because someone told her she had “fat legs and a fat nose.” So because she couldn’t fit in with society's expectations she “cut them off” and died, only to finally be admired and praised at her funeral. Too often is a story like this heard in the newspaper or on T.V, because society has forever had a hold onto individuals lives. It tells us how to dress and act in order to be accepted, and if we don’t comply then we are seen as outcasts and not treated equally. This helps me realize why she wrote this poem in the first place. Its a warning about society and clearly we haven’t fully picked up on it if we still see problems with body image occurring.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that beauty and perfection is being striven for like never before in today's society. women are faced with unrealistic expectations of how they should look.
- Analyzes how body image has been heavily influenced on young adults since the 70s. media has played a huge role in this by showing what they believe being beautiful means.
- Analyzes how body image caused bulimia, anorexia, and diet pills, which were dangerously using amphetamines to decrease one's appetite.
- Analyzes how barbie promotes an unhealthy and unrealistic body image for young girls. the outfit "barbie baby-sits" came with a book entitled how to lose weight.
- Analyzes how piercy's poem "barbie doll" was written in the midst of a feminist movement in america that redefined the lives of many women.
706 wordsRead More - Analysis Of Barbie-Q By Sandra Cisnerosanalytical essayThe girls feel that people need to mask their imperfections and true selves to uphold the image of how they are supposed to be. These dolls were found in a less than desirable place, such as “Lying on the street next to some tool bits ,and platform shoes with the heels all squashed, and a florescent green wicker wastebasket, and aluminum foil, and hubcaps, and a pink shag rug, and windshield wiper blades, and dusty mason jars, and a coffee can full of rusty nails”. They find another Barbie with heals in the depths of junk. They cover up the physical flaws of the burnt barbies with pretty outfits such as the “Prom Pinks” dress. One of the girls state “as long as you don't lift her dress, right? - who’s to know.” This attempt to cover up where the dolls came from and their imperfections seem to parallel their feelings about themselves and where they come from. The girls have an image of how their dolls would be if they were new. This could be the role society plays on the image of how women are supposed to be and look
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the girls hide their emotions in order to feel like and look as though their life is perfect. they have a positive attitude with the things they lack, but are longing and not satisfied with their situation.
- Analyzes how the insecurities of the girls are evident by the way in which they try to cover up and hide the flaws of barbies.
- Analyzes how the theme of the story shows the struggle for girls to figure out their roles in society and how they should behave. they cover up the dolls so that they do not look like they come from an imperfect world.
- Analyzes how sandra cisneros' "barbie-q" shows how easy it is to conform to the pressures of society by playing with the barbies.
779 wordsRead More - Societal Expectations In Marge Piercy's Barbie Dollanalytical essayIn "Barbie Doll", Marge Piercy reveals the societal expectations girls are raised with from birth. Beginning her life in a mundane way, "this girlchild was born as usual"(1), becoming a disappointment straight from birth. She was treated as on abject, programmed for the role society felt she should have, and had no identity except for the gender she was born with. This girl was so objectified and generalized with other girls that she was not even given a name in this poem, but instead is just referred to as a ‘she’. At a young age the girl was "presented dolls that did pee-pee"(2), then "miniature GE stoves and irons"(3), training her to be an ideal, but average mother. Then she was presented with "wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy"(4), training her be a sweet like cherry candy, and wife desirable for her husband. During the awkward stages of her puberty she was told she had "a great big nose and fat legs"(6), making her not good enough by society's standards.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how marge piercy's "barbie doll" reveals the societal expectations girls are raised with from birth.
- Analyzes how in the second stanza the speaker restates the qualities of a perfect mother, including being intelligent and healthy, with strong arms and back, but through society's standards she should be weak and feminine.
- Analyzes how in the third stanza the speaker focuses on how girls are molded to please others in their lives, unlike boys are raised toplease themselves. she is told to deny her strength by playing coy, and was "exhorted to come on hearty."
451 wordsRead More - Barbie: Her Intentions and Her Impactanalytical essayBarbie, an American icon that was a product of the Mattel Company, revolutionized the lives of young girls and women for many decades. The creation of Barbie, meant for many young girls the opportunity to have choices during a time when women were limited. Although, Barbie has long been criticized for being associated with domesticity and her appearance among many other things, she is nonetheless an iconic figure in American History. As a female who grew up playing with Barbie dolls, for many people like myself, she was more than a toy, she was an influence that many woman have tried to emulate because she was an innovate figure in the 1960s and has continued to be well into today. The intention of this paper is to examine what were the intentions of Barbie doll creator Ruth Handler when the doll debuted in 1959 as well as the magnitude of Barbie’s impact on women and women’s history.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how barbie, an american icon, revolutionized the lives of young girls and women for many decades.
- Explains that the barbie doll revolutionized the way women thought of themselves and caused controversy because it did not directly encourage domesticity.
- Analyzes how barbie was a symbol of self-sufficiency and independence in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Analyzes how the barbie doll has impacted the lives of many different generations of women. it contradicted the idea of true womanhood because it encouraged women to take care of themselves and seek various kinds of careers.
- Explains that barbie is the woman excluded from the world of work with its attendant sense of achievement, to live a life based on leisure activities, personal appearance, accumulation of possessions, and the search for popularity.
- Analyzes johansen, michele, "the evolution of working women: what barbie has taught us." atom.
- Explains motz, marilyn f., "seen through the rose tinted glass." popular culture.
- Analyzes briana piche's "the intentions behind the creation of barbie". illinois wesleyan university, 2009.
- Analyzes shannon, jacqueline, "primary sources: ruth handler: staying home wasn't in my makeup."
1007 wordsRead More - The Impact of Societal Standardsanalytical essaySocieties have always consisted of standards in which the general population are expected to conform to. Some are more important to meet than others, and some are placed upon individuals based on their specific demographic criteria, such as gender. “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy and “The Unknown Citizen” by W. H. Auden both display this desire for members of society to conform to the standards issued by the majority. Both of these poems share a similarity in their structure, along with the presence of other people and their role on the main characters’ life. The piece by Piercy goes on to show the more detrimental effects of standards, whereas Auden’s is more subtle. Elements of imagery are vividly present in both works; however, the “Barbie Doll” imagery displays visions of housewives and homemakers, and the way girls should look and behave, images in “The Unknown Citizen” are of objects, possessions that a man should own in order to be a typical person.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how "barbie doll" by marge piercy and "the unknown citizen," by w. h. auden, display this desire for members of society to conform to the standards issued by the majority.
- Compares the titles of the two works, which are allusions to parts of american society, such as barbie dolls and the tomb of unknown soldiers. both poems are written in a third person point of view.
- Analyzes how "the unknown citizen" uses the first person pronoun, "we," to show how the man was really nothing more than what people thought of him.
- Analyzes how "the unknown citizen" and "barbie doll" both take place after the deaths of the characters; however, they take on very different demises.
- Analyzes how images are used in "barbie doll" and "the unknown citizen" to represent female and male gender roles in american culture.
- Compares marge piercy's "barbie doll" and w. h. auden’s “the unknown citizen.” both are poetic commentaries on american standards, but both are implied to be living in a personal hell.
789 wordsRead More - The Fat Girl Andre Dubus Analysisanalytical essayThroughout history women have been portrayed as inferior to men in all ages. However women have transcended from being too inferior to men to actually being portrayed as naive in the sense that women only care about their beauty since that is the only thing that society cares about now. This has now spread to age in society where now women are portrayed by the media as sex symbols so that could be enticing to society. In the “Fat Girl” by andre dubus the main charcter Louise is pressured by her family members espically her mother to lose weight so that she can fit into societies portrayal of women.In the poem “the barbie doll” by margie piercy the female charcter is forced to correct her body images in order to fit with that of which society
In this essay, the author
- Argues that women have transcended being portrayed as inferior to men in all ages, and that the media should feature women in a more realistic and more everyday image of women.
- Analyzes how andre dubus' "the fat girl" shows how louise's mother, who is a conformer to society, forces her to lose weight so that she could fit into society.
- Analyzes how marge piercy's poem "barbie doll" shows how society causes women to change their appearance.
692 wordsRead More